The Bengals have been reduced to auditioning young players for next season and trying to spoil their opponents' playoff hopes. The next three opponents -- Baltimore, Indianapolis and Washington -- have a decided edge in talent and experience, so the Bengals will be hard-pressed to do more than scare them for a couple of quarters.

Key matchup

Bengals QB Ryan Fitzpatrick vs. Ravens S Ed Reed

Reed, like Troy Polamalu of Pittsburgh, is given freedom to roam the field in search of big plays. He intercepted two passes last week and returned them a combined 151 yards. "And he's harder to find, because he doesn't have that long hair like Polamalu," Fitzpatrick said.

Numbers and such

With Bengals guard Andrew Whitworth on IR and tackle Levi Jones unavailable because of injuries, rookies Nate Livings and Anthony Collins will man the left side of the offensive line again. The Ravens ran the ball 46 times in the teams' previous meeting. The Ravens have occasionally used backup quarterback Troy Smith, a former Ohio State standout, in the single-wing formation. He has thrown two passes and carried the ball six times for 77 yards.

Bengals win if

The defense shuts down Baltimore's running game, and the offense produces a big play or two. The Ravens remain committed to the run as long as the game is close, which means the Bengals must hold strong for 60 minutes. But an early lead could put a little pressure on rookie quarterback Joe Flacco.

Bengals lose if

The offense produces only three points, as it did in the teams' first meeting. If the Cincinnati offense cannot generate yards and points, the Baltimore offense will wear out the Bengals defense with run after run after run.